Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: And what are you working on this beautiful April weekend? We hope it’s your room, well, unless your room is in perfect condition. And you are able to have the weekend off. But I was talking about nobody’s mansion is in perfect condition, extremely ours.

LESLIE: Okay. Nobody’s room is in perfect ailment. Even if it seems it, there’s ever something to do.

TOM: Yeah, I know. I had to put down the paintbrush simply to get to the microphone today, alright ? So , no matter what’s going on, we’re here to help you improve that house, because it is the home improvement season. That’s the only thing we been fucking loving spring.

Yeah, people should be considered it- “That’s spring. It’s flowers and all that.” No, it’s home improvement. That’s what spring means to us. You know, it makes beings are out specifying up their houses. They’re replacing kitchens and lavatories and floors and porches and depositing up the yards with the gardening.

Hey, whatever you’re working on, we’d like to be a part of that assignment. Slide it over to our to-do list and we’ll work on it together. Call us firstly at 1-888-MONEY-PIT and we’ll get you started, 888-666-3974.

Well, coming up on today’s show- as the saying goes, Leslie- good fences make good neighbors. But the issues becomes: how do you build a good fencing? I means for me, that’s the kind you don’t have to build over and over again because it gets destroyed during rot, termites and carpenter ants. So we’re going to have some solutions for solid fencing, merely ahead.

LESLIE: Plus, it’s all fun and games until you have to actually pay for your residence improvement projects. We’re going to have some tips on the best ways to finance those projects, both large and small, as well as insights on the most popular projections of the season.

TOM: And hey, are you looking forward to laying out on a beautiful, green lawn this summer? Well, you’re going to need to beat back the weeds first. We’ll have some gratuities on what needs to get done right now to stop those weeds from getting started.

But first, we want to hear from you. What are you working on? What can we help you with? Be a part of the conversation. The multitude is 1-888-MONEY-PIT, 888 -6 66 -3 974.

Let’s get to it. Leslie, who’s first?

LESLIE: Nick in Iowa is on the line and is doing a tiling assignment. What can we do for you?

NICK: I did a project in my bathroom, on the second floor, a couple years ago. And I laid 3/4 -inch tongue-and-groove down.

TOM: Plywood?

NICK: Yes. And then I laid down a 1/4 -inch fiber-cement underlayment that is made for tile. And I procreated sure that the seams weren’t in the same spot as the tongue-and-groove.

TOM: Right.

NICK: And it’s been- like I say, it’s been probably two years and I’ve went just a hairline rift drive through all my tile that’s right on that tongue-and-groove seam. And I’m getting ready to start a kitchen job where I’m going to do some tiling. And I guess I want to know if you had any suggestions on where I might have went wrong.

TOM: Well, the very best floor locate for a tile projection is called a “mud floor.” Do you know what a clay storey is?

NICK: No, I do not.

TOM: So a silt floor is one where you put down tar paper firstly, then you put down woven cable mesh, then you mix up a sand-and-cement- essentially, mud. It’s a very dry mix; not a great deal of ocean to it. Generally, it’s one purse of Portland cement to about 40 scoops of sand. And when you mix it perfectly, you can kind of maintained it and it models sort of a ball in your hand, right?

Now, you take that silt and that slime combination and you spread it out across the woven cable mesh. And you’ve got to be a pretty good do-it-yourselfer to gather this off, because it’s actually a professional tile guy’s way of doing this. But you spread it over the clay. You usage a long, straight boundary to kind of get it absolutely perfectly flat and you make it dry. And it’s got to be a minimum of maybe 1-inch thick and it could go up to whatever you need it to be.

For example, I have a laundry room in the second floor of my home. Really old house. And we decided to tile that and there’s just no way I could level this floor any other way. And so, we put down a mud storey. It was about 1 inch on one side of the area. By the time we got to the other side of the chamber, it was about 21/2 inches because the storey had that various kinds of a slope in it. But then when we were done, it was perfectly flat and utterly rock solid.

If you leant a slime storey down, you are able to never, ever, ever get a crack, if you do it right. That’s the best way to make love. Any of those tile-backer concoctions are subject to expansion and reduction and that may help develop some crannies , not to mention that it can’t truly help you level a flooring that’s out of level.

Now, when - you told me you were doing this in the kitchen. We’ll give you an additional caution: you’ve got to be very careful in various regions of the dishwasher. Because if you made a dense storey around that dishwasher, you may not be able to get the dishwasher back in again. Or you can do as this ridiculous tile guy did at my sister’s house. He tiled her dishwasher in. So when the dishwasher had to be replaced, I had to help her take the countertop off of the capsize, off of the cabinets, take the sink out, take the countertop up in order to lift the dishwasher out from the cabinets and change it, which was really ridiculous and very annoying.

NICK: That doesn’t voice like what I want to do , no.

TOM: No. So don’t tile your dishwasher in and watch the thickness of the floor so that you can actually get the dishwasher back in if you take it out.

You know, we ever say, “Do it once, do it right and you won’t have to do it again.” And that is absolutely true when it comes to putting down tile. If you don’t make the time to put in a proper base, you will ultimately be repeating the process.

LESLIE: We’re going to talk with Dot in Wisconsin who’s get a decking question. How can we help you with your programme?

DOT: Yes. My deck is located on the south side of my house and every year, we’ve been putting a make-up on it. And it’s which is something we get a lot of sun. And I’m wondering if there’s a special kind of paint I should use, because it rinds a lot.

TOM: So, there are special dyes for decks. And if you’re continuing to kept more coatings of decorate on the old-time floor, my concern is that you’re never going to be good adhesion. You may have too many coats of coat on that now.

Are you consuming colour or grime, Dot?

DOT: I believe it’s a paint.

TOM: I’m afraid, at this place, what you really need to do is to remove that depict so you can get down to the original lumber. Because you can’t made good decorate over bad coat; it’s going to continue to peel. And once you get down to that grove, then you are able to prime it and then paint it.

But if you’re able to get most of the colour off- and perhaps you can because, apparently, it’s not protruding well, where you really don’t have too much left- then I would recommend not squandering cover on it. I would use solid-color stain. It’s still going to give you a incessant emblazon but it’s going to absorb better into the wood and it’ll kind of fade rather than rind. And I think that’s what you’re shooting for.

DOT: OK. Is there a certain type of make to remove the stuff that’s on there now?

TOM: Yeah, there’s a wide variety of paint strippers out there. I would look for one of the citrus-based concoctions and try that. You’re going to - you may have to try a couple of them until you find the one that works best with your particular deck.

DOT: OK. Thank you.

TOM: Good luck with that projection. Thanks so much for calling us at 888 -MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Dan in Pennsylvania is on the line with a plumbing question. What can we help you with?

DAN: Yes, my son has an older house with cast-iron or steel drainpipes and they travel- the main line exits straight down from the bathroom and then under the basement floor. And he’s incessantly going blockages because of the- the cast iron get bumpy over hour and tends to catch things.

So I’m wondering- I realize normal drain lines, you descend them an inch a hoof so you don’t get too fast a ditch and siphon out the baits. But can you- with the main line, can you do pretty much whatever you want with that? Like, say, two 45 s and then straight-shooting down to get it to the edge of the property? And then that highway I’d exclusively have to tear up a little bit to get to- out of the house with the plastic pipe.

TOM: Well, you may not have to tear anything up. There’s a pipe-lining technology that you can consider where, virtually, they reline the cast-iron tubes with a fiberglass sleeve that’s smooth and doesn’t have those types of hazards. It also facilitates stop root growing that can sometimes get into the seams of cast-iron piping.

DAN: Awesome.

TOM: And that can be done with the pipings in place. You wouldn’t have to tear anything up.

DAN: I would have to cut the piping though, I’m guessing, because if it goes down and then underneath the portion of the vault at some kind of a- probably a 90. And there may be a trap in- under the basement floor, as well.

TOM: But all of this can be done without you having to access it. Because the way the tube rowing makes is - first of all, they kept a camera down there to figure out which nature the pumps are going and they can do that with a hose camera. And then they move what glances kind of like a fiberglass sock through the pipe.

And it’s kind of like- if you can imagine turning a sock inside out, they do that with irrigate adversity. And it turns inside out and sort of species against the internal walls of the cast-iron pipe and then sort of bakes and thickens to this sort of very strong, smooth surface that won’t obstruct the flow.

DAN: OK. Thank you very much.

TOM: You’re welcome, Dan. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.

This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. Just ahead, they say good fencings make good neighbors. But they too lend wording and value to your residence. We’ll have tips-off on how to pick and build very good barriers, in today’s Pro Project presented by HomeAdvisor.com, after this.

Making good dwellings better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: From demolition to decor, we’ve got you are covered under tip-off and admonition to help you get the jobs done around your room. Give us a bawl, right now, with your questions, your remarks at 1-888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor. HomeAdvisor can instantaneously accord you with the title pro for the job, for free.

LESLIE: John in Wisconsin is on the line with a washer/ dryer question. Tell us what you’re thinking about there.

JOHN: We were thinking of putting a washer and dryer in our save bedroom. And where we want to is next to an internal wall. And I was wondering, if we expressed it up through into the attic, through the insulation so it’d come out on top, would that be damaging to the- it’d be too much moisture in there or not?

LESLIE: Now, would this still remain a guest room or would this become a new, snazzy laundry room?

JOHN: Yeah, it’d be a laundry room, yeah.

LESLIE: Generally, when you talk about resale value, the amount that you could possibly resell your house for immediately correlates to the amount of bedrooms and lavatories that "youve had". So, you may want to start by talking with a local realtor who’s familiar with home prices in your neighborhood, as to what the effect might be to removing a bedroom.

Now, if you have no intention to sell and you’ve get this dream to have just a kick-butt, big laundry room with perhaps a stitch domain and enough ironing space, then this could be awesome for you guys.

TOM: Now, in areas of your technical questions, apparently, you’re going to have to get hot and cold water there and you’re going to have to get electricity there for your washer and your dryer and 240 -volt if it’s electric dryer. Venting was the one question you had and can you go up through the wall into the attic? Yes. But you can’t stop there. You have to continue with that vent, John, until it gets outside. You cannot drop the heated, moist, lint-ladened dryer exhaust up into the attic; you’ve got to take it outside.

So, what you should do is only use solid-metal piping , not flex ducting. Get it up in the attic and turn it 90 magnitudes and then run it from all the regions of the flooring, so to speak, above the joists and then out the side wall of the house, with a proper dryer-vent completion on the outside of it. And the test is when you turn the dryer on, you look outside, you are able to investigate the flap open up. You actually don’t want to have any restriction. It’s very important you get that lint out, because there’s a lot of dryer ardors that happen because people accumulate too much lint inside those pipes.

JOHN: Oh, I attend. Mm-hmm.

TOM: Alright?

JOHN: Yeah. Very good.

TOM: John, good luck with that projection. Thanks so much for calling us at 888 -MONEY-PIT.

Well, putting up a barricade can add style and security and value to your owned but it can also be an eyesore, it can be a maintenance headache and it can cause a battle with your neighbors. So, to avoid the difficulties, it was necessary to a pro and you have to plan carefully. We’re departing to share gratuities on how to do merely that, in today’s Pro Project presented by HomeAdvisor.com.

Now, first- and this is really, really important - you need to check your property lines. I know you think you know where your lines are but unless you have a survey done and maybe some corners adjusted- and you don’t want to build in your neighbor’s yard. Because if you catch out that you’re merely a scooch over the line, they can determine you rend the whole damned occasion down. You’re too going to want to check with local officials to make sure you don’t need a permit to build your fencing, because numerous do. And once you’re sure about those situations, you can start thinking about what kind of fence you want to buy.

LESLIE: Now, fencing’s available in so many the documentation and that includes natural and pressure-treated groves, vinyl and metal.

Now, the natural lumber can be beautiful but it’s going to require "the worlds largest" maintenance. You’ve also got to remember that there are two sides to that fence and it’s got to look good from the outside, as well as the inside. And most building systems require that the good side- the better side, the one you pick out- actually faces your neighbors.

TOM: Yeah, that’s right. And don’t try to save money on the door, either. That part of your barrier is going to take "the worlds largest" wear and cry and it can also be a security risk or a jeopardy if it’s left open. Peculiarly if you’re applying a pond fence, it’s got to have a spring hinge that are helpful in swing it back into arrange to prevent kids from wandering into that pool area. So, real important that you have a very good-quality door on that fence.

LESLIE: Alright. Now, let’s talk about the cost. Now, according to HomeAdvisor.com’s True Cost Guide, homeowners on average are spending $2,550 on a barricade activity. But rates do vary by the region, fabric and projection, as well as the sizing and certain difficulties. So it’s important to keep specific the documentation and magnitudes in psyche as you’re estimating your programme price and then build a budget from there.

For example, lumber options average around $2,700 while a chain-link fence averages around $1,900. And the vinyl barriers are far more expensive and they stray a little bit closer to 3,500.

TOM: And that’s today’s Pro Project was put forward by HomeAdvisor.com. With HomeAdvisor, you can get matched with top-rated home service pros in your province, read substantiated reviews and book appointments online, all for free.

LESLIE: Diane in New Jersey, you’ve went The Money Pit. How can we help you today?

DIANE: We live in New Jersey. And my dad had the Pennsylvania Dutch come all the way to New Jersey. And they was put forward a beautiful gambrel pole barn with that neat determine to it.

TOM: OK.

DIANE: But I observed there are hardly rafters along the edge. And even though they have hardly gap in them, every year the flies come in through there and I have hundreds, all dead, at the end of summer. And I don’t "know what i m saying" I could do to stop that problem.

TOM: So, "youve had"- this is a barn that you have and it’s a fairly open barn? I mean you’re not going to keep the flies out of the barn. You can’t make it that tighten because by the nature of the building, it’s fairly drafty, correct?

DIANE: Well, actually, my papa- we never had any animals near stalls but he- it’s completely closed all the time. It’s got two electric door at either discontinue and a doorway, so it is contained. The only acces they’re getting in is through- under the edges of the roof, there’s a- it looks like a- I don’t know. You know the gutters, kind of? It looks like ditches- sewer situation. And there’s an opening there and the sunlight and the breath arrive through, which I guess you need for animals. But we’re not squandering it for animals.

TOM: So at the apartment side, the rafters, does it have a terminated soffit? Is it constructed so that you have a flat, vented range underneath it? Or is it really wide open?

DIANE: No. There is a showed area. They have looked at it closely. And it seem to have- and it’s got little gaps in it big enough for flies.

TOM: So they’re not get in this soffit area where you’re suspecting.

DIANE: I don’t know. I thought they were coming through those holes.

TOM: Yeah. But if they’re that small, they’re not coming in. Look, frequently, soffit ventilation is too small for bugs to get into. So they’re probably coming in a different way. Do you have a ridge vent at the pinnacle?

DIANE: Actually it’s just for looks because when I- there is a staircase that goes up to the top of the barn and there’s no openings in the roof.

TOM: Diane, if you’re trying to keep these barn flies out of the barn, there’s actually two ways to approach this. Mechanical, which is what we’re talking about in terms of becoming sure that you have screening wherever it’s required. And this would be covered by any vents, gable volcanoes, cupola shows, soffit vents and the like. And of course, you mentioned that it has sizable doors that generally abide closed. I guess there’s not much you can do right there.

But the second technique is chemical. And there are professional pesticides that are designed specifically faced with these flies. There’s usually some formulation of pyrethrin that essentially is scattered inside the barn to control these insect populations. And in fact, in some cases where you actually have livestock, there are formulations that can also be applied to the livestock without damaging them.

So, I would do two things: I would make sure that I examine the barn very carefully for any added openings where these flies can get in; and then I would consult a pest-management professional for an appropriate application of pesticide, because you have such a severe problem. I don’t think this is anything you’re going to be able to handle with, say, a more natural, smaller-scale approach like I might give you for your room. In this case, I think you need to choose the liberty commodity and have it applied properly. And when done, defined in accordance with all the label directions, I think it is a relatively safe stuff to do.

I hope that helps you out. Thank you so much better for calling us at 888 -MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: You "re listening to" The Money Pit. Hey, do you have a home improvement project in your outpouring to-do list? Well, we can help. Give us a bellow now at 888 -MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor, the swiftly and easy highway to find the best home service pros in your province. You can predict reviews and book appointments online.

TOM: And precisely onward, it’s all fun and games until you have to actually pay for your dwelling improvement projects. We’re going to have tip-off on the best ways to finance your assignments, both tiny and big, as well as insights on the more popular programmes of the season, after this.

Making good dwellings better, welcome back to The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Well, residence increase is hot this year. According to a brand-new inspect by LightStream, 73 percent of homeowners plan to renovate their residence this year. That’s actually a 26 -percent increase from 2018.

LESLIE: Yeah. And what’s also amazing is that Americans are now prioritizing personalization over increasing the value of their home for resale.

TOM: With us to talk about that and share some tips on how is payable for your home improvement projects is Todd Nelson. Todd is the senior vice president of strategic partnerships for LightStream.

Welcome, Todd.

TODD: Thanks, Tom. Thanks, Leslie.

TOM: So, you guys have been doing this survey now for six years old. And some of current trends you’ve seen develop are genuinely interesting, including this latest trend this year with a renewed interest in personalization. What’s driving it?

TODD: You know, it’s interesting. So, this year, I was catch when we got the results back. And as you mentioned, roughly three-quarters of parties are planning on making a home improvement. I study the big driver is that people are telling us that they’re strategy on remain in their homes for longer periods of time. I think it was nearly 60 percent of the people said that they’re going to stay in their home 10 times or more or have no programmes of ever moving out. And so, remaining throw means you’re going to be in your home, you crave it manifest your lifestyle and people are moving deepens so that they can experience the home they’re in, rather than thinking about flipping it and moving on to the next one.

LESLIE: Now, do you find that they’re spending more coin because it’s a personal drive on their own decisions there?

TODD: They are. And so this year, in our sixth year, this was the highest average amount that beings anticipated to devote. It was just over $9,000 this year and that was up 32 percentage over last year.

TOM: Wow, that’s somewhat substantial. But for 9,000 bucks, you’re not going to do a kitchen or a shower. Aside from those sort of typical big repairs and big improvements, what other styles of projects were they doing, Todd?

TODD: Well, so keep in mind that’s an average, right? So, nearly three-quarters said that they were going to do something. If you look at what people told us they were looking to do, about 29 percent said they were going to tackle some kind of home repair. So that have been able to include windows, roofing, maybe openings or solar. Thirty-one percent said they wanted to do a kitchen redevelopment. And 37 percentage said they wanted to tackle a shower renovation. That’s very similar to what we saw last year.

The biggest thing parties said that they were planning for 2019 was outdoor. And 41 percentage of the people that we canvassed said that they wanted to tackle some kind of outdoor project this year.

LESLIE: I mean that’s great. Everybody wants to get outside.

Do you even look into how people are thinking about paid under these restorations? Are they dipping into savings? Are they borrow coin?

TOM: We did. And so the survey this year, 60 percent of the people that we canvassed said they projected on using their savings to pay for all or part of their projection. Another 32 percent "says hes" schemed on using a placard. Residence equity and home improvement credits were another 13 and 10 percent respectively. And then six percent said they planned to dip into their investments in order is payable for their residence increase project.

TOM: That announces a little scary: dipping into your investments to pay for home improvement. What are some of the questions you should ask yourself when trying to decide how you should pay for it? Let’s assume you have some alternatives. You’ve got a credit card where maybe their best interests rate is a bit crazy, maybe you have some equity in your residence so you can get a home equity loan. What kinds of questions should you be asking yourself to determine what’s the most effective ways to go for development projects?

TODD: Well, certainly, savings is a nice option. If "youve had" the cash, it’s nice not to have to take on any additional debt. But oftentimes, people want to have some coin set aside for disaster fund or other things. So, you might not want to liquidate your savings for a home better project. Ascribe placards are certainly a very convenient option. And I feel for smaller projections- if you’re just going to do, say, paint a room or do some tiny amends- debit card make a ton of sense.

For bigger programmes, though, "theres a lot of" options. And so if you happen to have equity in your residence, certainly you could look at a home equity loan. And now, the unsecured consumer-loan options, like the ones that LightStream adds, very low interest rates and no rewards. And so, someone can get up to $100,000 from a lender like LightStream in as quickly as a daylight. And our interest rates in residence betterment start below six percent, so that’s a jolly beautiful alternative. Certainly lower than the interest rate that someone might offer on a credit card.

TOM: That’s interesting, because I guess you’ve have to go to assume that folks that are improving their home are probably fairly responsible persons if they’re taking the time to take care of the place that takes care of them.

TODD: Absolutely. And being a homeowner come here for both a responsibility but also a sense of pride. And so, I study parties, like we talked about earlier, want to personalize their dwelling. They want to have it reflect their lifestyle, whether it’s redoing their backyard and putting up a pergola or some other outdoor-living boasts. They demand occasions that indicate the event they’re interested in, help them entertain their friends and family and really enjoy their residence infinite more.

LESLIE: Either channel, I think whatever direction you go in, improving your home is such a great decision. But certainly "ve been thinking about" how you’re paying for this improvement can totally allay the stress and cure you only enjoy the process and the project that much more.

TODD: And we think it’s important that the first event that any homeowner do is really create a budget. Make assured that you think through how much coin can you really afford to spend on the project. And then get into the details. Representation out whether the government has it’s something that you can tackle as a do-it-yourself project. Or is it something that involves a plumber or an electrician where you really want to hire a pro to make sure that you don’t have any problems down the road? So, giving a budget and being smart about it and doing your research.

If you’re going to have a contractor come in, get multiple orders. I can be said, from my own experience in the last month, we got three different proposals for a fairly small project. And the costs varied so much better for the same accurate toil, it is therefore does pay to shop around, to have multiple dictations and to do your homework. Do the research and find out what the materials are going to cost. Find out what other people in your region have paid. That’ll really travel a long way towards curing a homeowner provide their budget.

TOM: Yeah, we always tell our gathering that the more you know before the pro comes in, the better off you are because, essentially, you’re creating your own spec. And all the pros that walk in the door are going to bid sort of apples to apples. It’ll be easy to compare what each is billing for your project.

TODD: So true. That’s great advice.

Todd Nelson, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for LightStream, thank you so much for stopping by The Money Pit, Todd.

Hey, if you’d like detailed information about all the options LightStream offers for residence improvement project financing, stay their website at LightStream.com. That’s LightStream.com.

Thanks again, Todd.

TODD: Thank you, Tom. Thank you, Leslie.

LESLIE: Hey, if you’re looking forward to laying out on a beautiful, lettuce, luxuriant lawn the summer months, we’ve got some steps that you need to take right now to keep the grass at bay. We’ll share those tips-off to stop the weeds from must start, next.

Well, floorboards to shingles, gazebos to garages, give us a request now with your dwelling betterment question at 888 -MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor. You’ll find top-rated home service pros and volume appointments online, all for free.

TOM: And what are you working on this fine spring weekend? We actually "ve got to hear" and we want to help. Give us a ask, right now, at 888 -6 66 -3 974.

LESLIE: Louise in Delaware is on the line with some carpenter bees seeing her dwelling. Tell us what’s going on.

LOUISE: Yes, ma’am. I have a deck in my- at my back entrance and I have a roof. It doesn’t widen all the way out to the end of the floor. Only about halfway. And I’ve been having, for several years, a major problem with carpenter bees. They actually acquire perfectly round pits in the roof of the deck.

And I had an exterminator a couple of years ago and he said he would scatter it but no secures. And he scattered it and maybe for about five epoch I didn’t view them but they came right back. But someone told me- it was actually another exterminator, a really older lady. She said to come sword hair and set steel wool in the holes because they can’t get out through the sword wool. Because my cousin made cotton missiles soaked in bleach in the holes "shes had" on her floor and they actually ate through the cotton chunks and they snack through the caulking.

TOM: There’s the do-it-yourself methods and there’s the professional programmes. I’m troubled by the fact that you hired an exterminator- it sounds like it was some time ago- and he wouldn’t guarantee a reaction. That’s not acceptable. Most professional exterminators have the tools, the lore and the pesticides to effectively eliminate carpenter bees with a rational collateral of success.

So, if you have such a serious problem as this, I would definitely suggest that you go find yourself a new exterminator, maybe from a national-brand company like Orkin. You’d have better success with that.

Now, if you want to do this yourself, the reason that the bees form those flaws is because they’re nesting. And so the direction they’re treated is you spraying a pesticide inside those pits. You can also be used scatter something that’s petroleum-based inside the holes, because they don’t like that. You can fill them with steel wool.

There’s lots of ways that you could try this yourself. But given the severity of the problem, I would suggest you find a good exterminator who is able to receiving treatment with the right type of pesticide and you not have to worry about it. And I don’t think you had a pro last-place experience. You get a pro to address this difficulty and only get it done, once and for all, alright?

Thanks so much for calling us at 888 -MONEY-PIT.

Well, we all cherish a luxuriant, green lawn but sometimes, what’s green isn’t exactly grass nor is it extremely luxuriant. In knowledge, weeds can destroy a lawn and remove any chance of turning your backyard into a perfect frame spot.

LESLIE: Yeah, that’s right. But when you consider that exactly one dandelion embed can make up to 15,000 weed grains, it’s a wonder that any of us win this battle against the dark-green invaders at all.

TOM: Well, there is a great way to beat back weeds in your lawn and it’s easy to apply. It’s a product announced Weed Beater Ultra. It’s made by Bonide and it can kill over 200 broad-leaf weeds without harming the lawn. And this weekend is really a good time to apply the product.

LESLIE: Yeah. And usually, when you are apply a weed killer, you need to wait a month before you reseed the lawn. And that’s another conclude we like this product is that you can actually reseed just two weeks after employment. So you’re going to get that full lawn proceeding that much faster.

TOM: Weed Beater Ultra works in cool temperatures, down to 45 severities, so chilly spring nighttimes are not a problem. Bonide commodities are family-made in the U.S.A. for over 90 years. Learn more by calling Bonide.com.

LESLIE: Alan in Idaho is on the line with a hit in a foundation. Tell us what’s going on at your money pit.

ALAN: You know, when I first bought the house, a contractor chum of mine said it was no big deal and he "ve given me" some epoxy. Said to drill some gap in it and squirt it in there until it mushed out all the way through and then just go ahead and smooth it off. Well, I didn’t seal it but it’s cracked right again beside it.

TOM: OK. So you have a crack in the foundation that you fitted with epoxy and it’s continuing to crack. Is that the action?

ALAN: The only time I’ve ever had any moisture in the vault is a previous owned drilled a loophole in the storey and ran the condensate exhaust through the air conditioner into the floor.

TOM: Alright. That’s not the kind of sweat we’re concerned about. The ground I would like to request that question is because it sounds like your wall is a little shaky and that it’s continuing to move. And the first circumstance to do when that happens- if it’s not a serious crack , not one where the wall is being dislocated- is to make sure that your grading and your sewage case are perfectly letter-perfect. Because the more spray that steeps around the outside of that room, the more irrigate that comes off channels and gets discharged against the wall, the weaker that organization gets.

It’s kind of like this: when it’s rainy and "youre walking" across a field, you sink into the mud because wet dirt is not as strong as dry soil. So we want to try to keep the dirt around your live- and specifically, under your foothold- as dry as is practicable. So sewage control is important.

Now, beyond that, if this is just sort of a hairline crack that’s modelling- is that what we’re talking about here?

ALAN: Yeah, yeah, it is. Well, the original one was a fairly good-sized cranny but ...

TOM: Well, what I would do if it’s a hairline cranny is I would fill it with silicone caulk, because it will expand and constrict and won’t- epoxy is pretty potent if it’s going to break and crack through it. So I would just replenish it with silicone caulk; that will really keep out some moisture and drafts from coming through it.

ALAN: Alright. And now, if I dig down- I know it doesn’t go clear to the footing because I’ve been down that far. I burrow down to see how far it was downed. And so, dig down and recommend perhaps tarring it up below position?

TOM: I wouldn’t go through all that. I imply right now, it’s- I would just improve the sewage predicaments and seal the fissure from the inside where you can.

ALAN: OK.

TOM: Alright? I don’t think it’s going to really add to it to tar up the whole foundation. You don’t seem to have any major moisture problem now, so we’re just trying to deal with the drafts and any possible leakage in the future.

Good luck. Thanks so much for calling us at 888 -MONEY-PIT.

LESLIE: Well, with the beautiful weather, it’s also picnic go. And while picnic and barbecues can be fun, they come with their very own gave of stains. We’re going to have quick cleanups for spilled sauce, grease, mustard and more, after this.

I feel like you’re talking to me, Tom. You know it.

TOM: Yeah, absolutely.

Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Call us, right now, with your home betterment question on the listener wrinkle at 888 -MONEY-PIT was put forward by HomeAdvisor.

LESLIE: Yeah. You are able to obtain matched with top-rated home assistance pros in your place, predicted supported reviews and book appointments online, all for free.

TOM: No problem the type of job, HomeAdvisor offsets it fast and easy to hire very good neighbourhood pros.

LESLIE: And recollect, while you’re online, you can post your questions on The Money Pit’s website at the Community section. And I’ve got one now from Rachel who author: “I recently bought a small home shaped in 1991. It’s a fine residence that sits on a mound. I discovered that there’s no vapor barrier on the grind in the crawlspace. I don’t notice any ensuing questions but the first floor feels cold to my bare hoof even though there’s insulation for the purposes of the flooring. Should I be adding a vapor railing? And if so, why? ”

TOM: Well, vapor obstructions are always a good theme when you have a crawlspace. They reduce humidity in that space and they’re also going to reduce the amount of sweat that can evaporate of off the soil of the- that’s under the floor of the crawlspace. And that has a couple of benefits, Rachel.

First of all, it abbreviates the risk of mold and decay forming on the storey enclose. Because all that humidity rests on the timber and then the lumbers get soften and it starts to rot away. And likewise, it’s going to make your isolation work better. Because if you keep the insulation drier at those lower humidity status, it actually isolates more. But it is not likely, though, to shape your floor feel warmer to those bare feet. For that, you need to much improve the insulation or maybe even the type of insulation.

So, our suggestion: yes, applied the crawlspace vapor hurdle down. That will help for all the reasons that we said. But for the flooring joists itself, you might want to add some additional unfaced fiberglass batts there and perhaps a few area carpetings on top to care of those chilly tootsies in the morning.

LESLIE: Oh, my goodness. Area carpets genuinely do cure a tremendous amount. Plus, they search good and "youve been" can finish up the decor of a gap by adding in a beautiful orbit rug.

And it gives you an opportunity to change them seasonally, more. It’s the most effective ways to add in the colors of the season. It can feel like a holiday, it can feel like springtime, it can have substances of summer. It’s a really inexpensive and easy highway to accompanied that season into the house, so think about it. Store those rugs nicely and you can change the search any time you want.

TOM: Well , now that the weather is turning warm, it is picnic time once again. Don’t gave the inevitable blots that accompany that outdoor devouring, though, ruin the entertaining. Leslie has quick fix for grimes, in today’s edition of Leslie’s Last Word.

Leslie? You are the expert at uttering blots, so I guess you’re the expert at cleaning them up.

LESLIE: You know, for being super tidy and organized, I’m a exceedingly tangled eater. It’s so ridiculous. I’m always ruining shirts. So this is very, very helpful.

Picnics, they really are a summertime tradition. But devouring outside can be messy. I make where do you put your plate? How do you hold everything? Consequently, a imbibe runs or a sandwich slips or the rib shed on your blouse. So, you’ve got to know how to treat those blots so they don’t ruin all of your brand-new, recreation summertime clothing.

Now, if we’re talking about barbecue sauce, you need to even the cold water from the underside of the fabric and blot with liquid laundry cleanser, then sponge with white-hot vinegar. Now, you can apply a stain treatment and then wash. The same stair is going to work for ketchup and mustard, so this is your condiment killer there. Okay, you guys?

Now, if we’re talking about berries- because summer is berry season, cobblers, all those things. You’re eating strawberries, you’re eating blueberries. You’re simply munching berries and you should be. So what you have to do there is mix a tablespoon of grey vinegar with a 1/2-teaspoon of liquid laundry cleanser and a quart of irrigate. Now, this time, you’ve got to let the fabric soak for about 15 instants and then wash. If it’s a really tough stain, you can blot with alcohol.

I know you’re going to make some more shambles. We’ve got grass discolours, we’ve got everything else that happens in the summertime. So head on over to MoneyPit.com and you’ll find a ton about blot removal.

TOM: This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show. Hey, thank you so much for spending part of your weekend with us. If you’ve went questions you can’t get answers to about your residence project, your decor projects, you can reach us, 24/7, at 888 -MONEY-PIT or always through our social-media canals, including Facebook.com, Twitter and Instagram.

I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself ...

LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.

END HOUR 2 TEXT

( Copyright 2019 Squeaky Door Yield, Inc. No fraction of this transcript or audio register is also available reproduced in any format without the express written authorization of Squeaky Door Creation, Inc .)

Related Posts

This week, many of us have full houses and tightly timed schedules for getting a beautiful, bountiful Holiday feast on the table. All this activity may spark some unplanned home emergencies, so while you’re giving thanks for everything that goes right, be prepared to act in case any of the following go wrong.

Disposal disasters

If your garbage disposal goes on the fritz right when you need it most, turn off the electrical circuit that operates the disposal. Then use a flashlight and tongs to pull out any obstructing objects. If that doesn’t work, insert an Allen wrench in the base of the disposal and rotate clockwise and counterclockwise until the object dislodges. Once the disposal is clear and ready for use, be sure to push the reset button on its base.

Toilet turmoil

To unclog a toilet, turn off the water at the shutoff valve (typically located behind the base of the toilet) and use a plunger over the drain hole rapidly about a dozen times, repeating if necessary. If that doesn’t work, insert the corkscrew end of a toilet auger into the drain hole to dislodge the obstruction. Slowly pull it out and do not attempt a repeated effort at flushing it down!

Dishwasher dilemma

If your dishwasher goes on strike right after twenty of your closest relatives and friends have finished dinner, check to make sure the spray arm isn’t blocked by large dishes that are standing in the way of rinsing. Double-check the water temperature, and make a quick adjustment at the water heater if water isn’t hot enough (at least 140 degrees Fahrenheit). Lastly, use a granular detergent if your home has hard water and a liquid or gel detergent if your home has soft water.

Hot water help

If your hot water calls it quits when you’ve still got company waiting for a shower, there’s not a lot you can do but have them wait. But to avoid cold showers in the first place, take a few minutes to install water-saving shower heads before visitors arrive. Stagger and set time limits on showers for guests and family members, and run washing machines and dishwashers at night while guests are sleeping. Also consider installing a tankless hot water heater, which provides little to no waiting time for a hot shower!

Electricity takes a timeout

First, turn off all appliances, such as hair dryers or microwaves that may have triggered the outage. When working with a circuit breaker (or fuse), use one hand while keeping the other at your side. Go to the main electrical service panel and open the door. Look for the circuit breaker that is in the “off” position (it will be flipped in the opposite direction from the others) and switch it back to the “on” position. Plug appliances back in one at a time so the circuit doesn’t trip again.

Kitchen emergencies

For a grease fire, a quick solution is to pour a box of baking soda directly over the flames. Never douse with water! Always keep a fire extinguisher within reach, and regularly check the gauge to make sure it’s operable and ready in the event of a kitchen fire.

Related product

Although concrete is one of the most durable building materials available, time, traffic and the elements can cause the concrete surface to spall, wear and discolor. QUIKRETE Concrete Resurfacer can provide a new, durable, wear-resistant surface on old, worn concrete driveways, sidewalks and patios that will last the life of the concrete.

QUIKRETE Concrete Resurfacer will renew your concrete surface at a fraction of the cost to tear out and replace old concrete slabs. As with any concrete repair project, proper surface preparation is essential for a successful result. This is especially true for concrete resurfacer. Old concrete must be rigorously cleaned to ensure proper adhesion to the new surface.

A high-strength, 3500 PSI pressure washer must be used to remove any dirt, oil, grease or deteriorating concrete, prior to the application of concrete resurfacer. Concrete Resurfacer is ideal for resurfacing large areas, like driveways, patios and pool decks, but because it sets quickly, it is important to section off your work areas to no larger than 144 square feet.

This will allow enough time for placing and finishing the resurfacer, before it begins to set. It’s essential that control joints and expansion joints are maintained, to allow for slab movement. These joints can usually be used to define your work area. Weather stripping can be used to prevent concrete resurfacer from spilling into the joints.

Before resurfacing your slab, deeply spalled areas and large cracks should be repaired using concrete resurfacer that has been mixed to a trowel-able consistency. The repairs should be allowed to harden, before resurfacing the entire area. To mix concrete resurfacer, a 5-gallon bucket and a 1/2 inch drill and paddle mixer should be used. Hand-mixing in standard concrete barrel-type mixers cannot be used for this application.

When mixing or placing concrete resurfacer, as with any cement mix, it is important to wear safety glasses and water-proof gloves. Measure and add 3.5 quarts of clean, cool water to the five gallon bucket, to mix one 40 lb. bag of concrete resurfacer. Then, begin to add the powder to the water, while mixing. Mix for about five minutes, until a lump-free, pourable consistency is achieved.

If the mix is too thick, add water, sparingly, to reach the consistency of syrup. If the mix is too thin, additional powder can be added. One 40 lb. bag of concrete resurfacer covers about 90 square feet at 1/8 of an inch thick, so a typical 16 foot by 24 foot driveway would use about five bags of resurfacer. Because the application process is continuous, it is always best to have a few extra bags, to allow for any changes in thickness or waste.

Prior to applying concrete resurfacer, saturate the surface with water, and then, remove any standing water. Concrete acts like a rigid sponge. Dampening the concrete will cool the slab and prevent the mixing water from being drawn out of the material, during the resurfacer application. You are now ready to begin the application process.

Pour the resurfacer onto the concrete in one-foot wide strips. Then, using a long-handled squeegee, scrub the material into the concrete surface. Working back and forth, evenly spread the resurfacer onto the slab. After about five minutes, a non-slip finish can be applied, using a concrete broom. Make long strokes, across the full distance of the work area, without stopping.

All broom strokes should be made in the same direction, for uniformity of appearance. A concrete edging tool can also be used within about 20 minutes of pouring the resurfacer. Concrete resurfacer has a working time of about 30 minutes at 73 degrees. In hotter weather, the working time will be reduced.

Using cold mixing water and keeping the bags of concrete resurfacer shaded will help extend the application time. Under normal conditions, no special curing is required. Although, in temperatures over 90 degrees, moist cure with a fine water mist for 24 to 48 hours.

Because concrete resurfacer is polymer-modified, temperatures should remain above 50 degrees, for at least 8 hours, and should be protected from freezing for 24 hours after application. Concrete resurfacer will support foot traffic in about 6 hours and vehicle traffic in 24 hours.

Project Instructions

When working with cement-based products, always wear eye protection and waterproof gloves. Temperatures should remain above 50 degrees for at least 8 hours and should be protected from freezing for 24 hours after applying.

Step 1
Prior to applying:

Rigorously clean old concrete to ensure proper adhesion of the new surface.
NOTE: a high strength, 3500 psi pressure washer must be used to remove any dirt, oil, grease or deteriorating concrete.
Repair deeply spalled areas and large cracks.
Saturate the surface with water and then remove any standing water.

Step 2
Mix the resurfacer using a five-gallon bucket and a 1/2 -drill and paddle mixer (hand mixing and standard concrete barrel-type mixers cannot be used for this application).

TIP: it is essential that control joints and expansion joints are maintained to allow for slab movement. Weather stripping can be used to prevent Concrete Resurfacer from spilling into the joints.

Step 3
Measure and add 3-1/2 quarts of clean cool water to a five-gallon bucket to mix one 40-pound bag of Concrete Resurfacer (the resurfacer should be poured into the mixing water).

Step 4
Mix for about 5 minutes until a lump-free pourable consistency is achieved. If the mix is too thick, add water sparingly to reach the consistency of syrup; if the mix is too thin, additional powder can be added.

Step 5
Pour the resurfacer onto the concrete in one-foot wide strips.

Step 6
Scrub the material into the concrete surface using a long handled squeegee.

Step 7
Evenly spread the resurfacer back and forth onto the slab.

Step 8
Apply a non-slip finish using a concrete broom after about 5 minutes.

TIP: make full broom strokes across the entire distance of the work area without stopping (all broom strokes should be made in the same direction for uniformity of appearance).

Step 9
Moist cure with a fine water mist for 24-48 hours in temperatures over 90 degrees.

Step 10
Concrete Resurfacer will support foot traffic in about 6 hours and vehicle traffic in 24 hours.

Related product

TOM: Coast to coast and floorboards to shingles, this is The Money Pit. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: And we are broadcasting today from the 2018 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. And this is the biggest home improvement industry event of the year, because it’s where manufacturers roll out their new products for the season. Kind of like a fashion show for home improvement.

LESLIE: Oh. And everybody is sporting their absolute best so we can really see what’s going on.

We’re located here at a space called the Ultimate Backyard. And this is where outdoor-living products are being featured by over 300 exhibitors, in addition to 2,500 more that are inside the halls of this truly gigantic convention center. And this is where many of the newest and hottest home improvement industry products are unveiled for the first time, well before they hit store shelves near you.

TOM: Well, that’s right. And normally, you wouldn’t know about this stuff until you find it in the home centers and hardware stores. But today, we’re going to give you a sneak peek at all the show has to offer, so we’re kind of your eyes and your ears.

LESLIE: Yeah. It’s kind of like the Disney World of home improvement. There’s 2,800-plus exhibitors, 500-plus new exhibitors along with 110 even more inventors covering 15-plus product categories, including everything from hardware to homewares to smart-home products and so much more. I mean there is a ton happening and it’s a lot of fun.

TOM: And we’re also taking this opportunity to launch The Money Pit’s Power Your Summer Sweepstakes. We’re giving away the Cat INV2000 Portable Inverter Generator worth $749.99. And it’s great for everything from tailgating to the job site. You can enter today at MoneyPit.com.

LESLIE: But to kick it off, we’re going to start this hour talking about the relaunch of three iconic American tool brands: Pony, Jorgensen and Goldblatt under the leadership of a fourth, Arrow Fastener.

TOM: And with us to talk about that is Bill Sokol, Vice President of Arrow Fastener.

And Bill, this is really a medley of four brands that have been helping DIYers and pros alike build for, got to be, over 80, 85 years now, right?

BILL: Yeah, it’s actually longer than that.

TOM: Wow.

BILL: Goldblatt goes all the way back to 1885.

TOM: Wow. That’s fantastic.

BILL: Yeah.

TOM: So, how did it come to be that Arrow Fastener is now helping to relaunch these amazing brands?

BILL: Well, Arrow was purchased last year by a company called GreatStar.

TOM: OK.

BILL: And GreatStar, actually, owns the Goldblatt and the Pony and Jorgensen brands. So, because of the success that Arrow has had in the U.S. market – curating that brand and growing the brand for consumers and DIYers – we were given the task of actually relaunching these brands into the U.S. marketplace.

TOM: Well, that’s great. Now, what has the reception been from the marketplace on seeing these brands sort of getting the visibility that they really needed?

BILL: Yeah, it’s been really great. Pony and Jorgensen have been out of the market for a couple of years and there’s a lot of demand for them to come back. We’re asked all the time by people that – “Man, I love those clamping products, you know? And I’ve got this one or I’ve got that one. And when am I going to be able to get it again?” So there’s a lot of excitement out there amongst both our trade partners and also consumers who reach out to us.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm. Well, the maker’s movement is so big right now. So you’re seeing so many people who are wanting to craft things by hand and truly learn more about woodworking. And that’s where these tools really come in handy.

BILL: Yeah, absolutely. They’ve been a fixture – the Pony and Jorgensen brands have been a fixture – in woodworking shops since 1903.

TOM: Yeah. And in fact, I know that I’ve shared the story with you but I don’t know if I did with you, Leslie. When I heard about Bill’s taking over these brands, I shared with him a research project that was handed to me about 30 years later, after leaving college, by my professor. He’d had it in a file cabinet. He found it out, right, and it was a book that I’d done, when I was in college, on the clamping of wood. And in that book were photos of me – I must have been 19, 20 years old – using Pony and Jorgensen clamps.

LESLIE: That’s fantastic.

BILL: Yeah.

LESLIE: And Tom is not even 100 years (inaudible).

TOM: I know, right? Yeah. So that’s how long I’ve been using these products. But I always thought that they were products that were more aimed at woodworkers. But now, we’re seeing the availability – we’re seeing more and more DIYers that are doing this. And they’re just a fantastic line of products to be able to do what you need to to clamp something together.

BILL: Yeah, absolutely. And we make everything from really specialized, like parallel bar clamps, down to a spring clamp or a C-clamp that just about anybody would have in their garage.

TOM: Right.

BILL: So we can meet any kind of clamping need that people might have.

TOM: Now, from our perspective, you guys are still innovating out there. You’ve got a lot of new products that you brought out this year but your most well-known, famous product is the T50, the staple gun.

BILL: Absolutely correct. It’s the best-known staple gun in the world. It’s still the number-one seller in the U.S.

TOM: And made in America.

BILL: It is, in Saddle Brook, New Jersey.

TOM: Right. Saddle Brook, New Jersey.

BILL: Yeah.

TOM: Right in our home turf. We’ve been there.

LESLIE: That’s really amazing. And I think what’s so exciting is that in this sort of rejuvenation of these brands, GreatStar is seeing the value of what their history is but truly looking towards the future and keeping them relevant and keeping them in current needs of what the woodworkers are using them for.

BILL: Yeah, that’s really the key. These are really great heritage brands that have been in America for a long time. They’ve got great stories. Goldblatt was started by a Russian immigrant in 1885, in Kansas City. As the American West was booming, he built his product and his business to actually help build the westward expansion.

And the Pony and Jorgensen brands were started by a Danish cabinet maker and an opera singer. So, it’s really hard to believe but true.

LESLIE: Crazy.

TOM: You can’t make this stuff up, man.

BILL: That company was run for 30 years by a woman before women even had the right to vote.

TOM: Wow.

BILL: Adele Holman started the company and she used to sign her business correspondence “A. Holman” so people wouldn’t know she was a woman.

TOM: That’s fantastic. Bill Sokol from Arrow Fastener, thank you so much for stopping by The Money Pit and filling us in on this great news with the relaunch of the three fantastic brands – Pony, Jorgensen and Goldblatt – under the leadership of Arrow Fastener.

Thanks, Bill.

BILL: Thank you, guys.

LESLIE: You are listening to The Money Pit coming to you from the 2018 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. If you’d like to join the conversation, call in your home improvement or décor question 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to 888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor, where it’s easy to find top-rated, local home improvement pros for any home project.

TOM: Go to HomeAdvisor.com.

LESLIE: Well, whether you’re a professional contractor or just a professional tailgater, which we are definitely seeing a lot of here at the National Hardware Show, having a reliable source of portable power can come in very handy.

TOM: I like that.

LESLIE: The new Cat INV2000 Portable Inverter Generator does both.

TOM: And with us to talk about this latest innovation from Cat is Sean Stults.

And Sean, this is an expansion of a line of portable power products that can really help, I don’t know, run the appliances and the tools you need, keep the lights on in an emergency or even power your outdoor fine: your camping trip, your trips to the beach, your trips to the ballpark. You really thought of it all.

SEAN: Yeah. This is a product, I think – we’ve seen it from a college ballpark to, like you said, a tailgate or any other venue that you can utilize something and carry it right in and not have to worry about getting big – lugging stuff. And it’s just really a suitcase. You take it right in, yeah.

TOM: Yeah, it really is. And certainly, I think the important part is the power you have packed into this: 2,250 watts of start-up power.

SEAN: Yeah.

TOM: And that’s a lot of juice.

SEAN: It is, you know. And we even had the opportunity to parallel two together to get double the juice if we really need it, in the case we need an RV or something to run. It’s great.

TOM: Yeah. Well, by way of an example, I was testing this product at home. And I have a 10-inch Milwaukee circular saw, which is a monster tool.

SEAN: Yeah?

TOM: And it cut timbers with it.

LESLIE: That’s like a really rapid power draw right from the start.

TOM: Right. A big draw in the beginning. No problem. It automatically revved up the power we needed and just chugged right along.

SEAN: Absolutely. Like you said, from the prosumer to the tailgater, it’s great.

LESLIE: Now, I think it’s – one of the best features, especially for a tailgater who might not be a pro user, is the ease of operation. Tell us about that because, for me, I’m always afraid to start things up like that. And to know that it’s so simple to do is hugely helpful.

SEAN: Yeah, the ease of use is simple as, like you said, carrying it right in. But starting it’s very simple. It only takes a gallon of gas. This thing runs for six hours.

TOM: On a gallon. One gallon.

LESLIE: On a gallon?

SEAN: On a gallon of gas. It’s awesome.

TOM: Yeah.

LESLIE: That’s huge.

SEAN: Yeah.

TOM: That’s so efficient.

SEAN: Yeah. And the starting is real simple on it. It’s a one-pull right out of the box. It’s great.

TOM: Yeah. I mean it’s like three steps, right?

SEAN: Yep. It’s right.

TOM: Yeah.

SEAN: You turn it over to the choke, turn it back to run. As you pull it, you’re good to go.

TOM: And you’re good to go.

SEAN: Yeah.

TOM: And talk about the way the technology – that basically makes it ramp up the amount of power you need based on whether you’re plugging in an iPhone or plugging in a big circ saw.

SEAN: Yeah. So, what we have is – your current utility in your home is about three-percent harmonic distortion. This has less than three-percent harmonic distortion.

TOM: Because people worry about the sensitivity of electronic devices, like those phones.

LESLIE: Well, you have to.

TOM: Yeah.

SEAN: Yeah. Everything’s a smart device these days.

TOM: Right.

SEAN: You’ve got a smartphone, you’ve got an iPad, a tablet or whatever it is. This you can plug directly into it. A typical, portable generator you cannot do that; it does not have the clean power that you’re asking for. And that’s what we’re offering with the INV2000.

TOM: And then how, again, does it ramp up the power to know how much juice it needs? What’s that process of – because I notice that it’s very, very quiet.

SEAN: Right.

TOM: You can hardly hear it going. Then if you put …

LESLIE: And that’s hugely important.

TOM: Right.

LESLIE: Because generators can tend to be so loud.

TOM: And annoying.

LESLIE: And annoying.

TOM: Right.

LESLIE: And especially if you were marketing to take to a tailgate or take to a very public place, you want to keep that noise down.

TOM: And that’s one of the reasons that, sometimes, some places a generator is just not allowed, because they don’t want them to disturb the peace.

LESLIE: Mm-hmm. They’re so noisy.

TOM: And before I – before you answer that question about how you adjust the power, there was one stat that was interesting to me that – and I didn’t know this, Leslie. The National Park Service has a standard for noise, so that if you’re in a campsite – one of the National Park Service’s campsites – you can’t have noise beyond a certain level. And this generator is well beyond – well under that.

SEAN: Well under that.

TOM: Yeah.

SEAN: Yeah, you’re right. It’s about 70 decibels.

TOM: Yeah.

SEAN: And our generator will run, like you said, well below that: 58 decibels at starting. So, that’s really good.

LESLIE: That’s very quiet.

SEAN: Yeah, very quiet.

LESLIE: What about maintenance, you know? Is there anything to do to take care of it to ensure that we get a long life out of it?

SEAN: Yeah. So, this thing runs with a computer. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that a big, portable generator – because it doesn’t need them.

TOM: Right.

SEAN: That’s the ease of the use of this and the way that it actually ramps up the power. Changing the oil is pretty typical. And the spark plug, we make it very simple for it. We make doors that come right off and you can do it right there in front of it, so …

TOM: And you’ve got that smart-engine control that ramps up the power to exactly where you need it. And the best news is you’ve given us an INV2000 for the grand prize of our Power Your Summer Sweepstakes launching, right now, on MoneyPit.com.

SEAN: That’s right.

TOM: So, this product’s worth 750 bucks. It’s going to go out to …

LESLIE: Could be yours for free.

TOM: Could be yours. So, enter today, at MoneyPit.com, the Power Your Summer Sweepstakes.

Sean Stults from Cat, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.

SEAN: Thank you very much.

LESLIE: You are listening to The Money Pit broadcasting from the stage at the Ultimate Backyard of the 2018 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas.

TOM: And if you’d like to see what we see while covering the show, all you need to do is follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, #NHShow.

Still to come, are you getting your outdoor furniture ready for the summer season ahead but notice that it looks a little worse for wear? We’re going to highlight a new product that could strip away all of that mildew and mess and tree droppings and more, in just minutes. That’s all coming up, next.

This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show broadcasting from the 2018 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. We’re thrilled to be here checking out the best of the best of home improvement products hitting the market.

LESLIE: Well, now that spring is in full swing and summer is just a couple of weeks away, we hope that you enjoy a beautiful, healthy green lawn. But if you’re seeing weeds instead, there is a solution that’s organic, safe for people and pets and can be used wherever unwanted grasses and weeds are growing. It’s called the BurnOut Weed and Grass Killer and it’s made by Bonide.

TOM: That’s right. The BurnOut Weed and Grass Killer is a fast-acting, all-natural formula that delivers results in less than 24 hours. You can use it to eliminate weeds growing in flower beds, vegetable gardens, sidewalks, patios and other areas around your home.

LESLIE: You can find all-organic BurnOut Weed and Grass Killer at your local garden center, hardware store or farm-and-feed retailer.

TOM: Or go to Bonide.com where you can also find great resources and answers to questions about lawn-and-garden care. That’s Bonide – B-o-n-i-d-e – .com. And remember, Bonide products are family-made in America.

Coming to you from the 2018 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, where we’re surrounded by over 2,800 manufacturers launching hundreds of new products. And one of the brands we followed over the years is Summit Brands. And now they’re out with a new addition to their Plink line of appliance cleaners that covers both washers and dishwashers.

LESLIE: That’s right. The Plink Washer and Dishwasher Freshener and Cleaner is an innovative product specially formulated to easily and effectively freshen and clean any washing machine or dishwasher. With us to talk about that is Tony Cronk of Summit Brands.

Welcome, Tony.

TONY: Thank you for having me, both Leslie, Tom.

TOM: The one thing I like about your products is you really make it easy. I mean it’s not easier than popping these things in the machines and letting them do the work.

TONY: Yes, that’s the premise of Plink, especially. The brand’s built on fast, easy, fresh and fun. The idea is to make it simple for the homeowner to be able to solve their problem as easily and it’s a value – or as cost-effectively as possible.

LESLIE: And I think that’s a lot of – you know, a good point there: making cleaning fun. Because a lot of times, people don’t want to clean and certainly don’t think of it as fun. So if you can make it fun, I’m all in.

TOM: And if you can do it fast, even better yet.

LESLIE: Right.

TONY: That’s right.

TOM: Well, odor in appliances is a big problem and it’s one that kind of sneaks up on people. They don’t think about it when they’re buying the appliances. They don’t think about it while they’re using their appliances. But when they smell it, they think about it a lot and you have a lot – a really hard time getting rid of those odors.

LESLIE: Right.

TOM: So we think about the odors that form in the dishwashers and the washing machines, the whole issue of the bacteria that gets behind the seals of the doors and that sort of thing, places you can’t clean even if you wanted to. And that’s kind of …

LESLIE: And you don’t first think about cleaning those places, as well.

TOM: Until you smell it, right? And then it’s awful. And that’s a sweet spot for Plink. It gets right in there and does the job and takes that odor away.

TONY: Yes, it does. It makes it very simple.

The product was developed with the key problem being odor control. A lot of – there’s a lot of products out there on the market that try to solve the odor issue but they don’t do it effectively.

TOM: Right.

TONY: We used a patented fragrance technology that yes, it’ll clean the appliance – both the washer and the dishwasher – and then afterward leaves a very nice, pleasant fragrance behind that stays for up to five days.

TOM: So you – the formula is made to freshen and clean pretty much any washing machine or dishwasher? Does it matter whether it’s top-load or front-load or anything like that?

TONY: Does not matter, although it’s very highly effective on the front-loading washing machine.

TOM: I bet.

LESLIE: And that tends to be a big problem.

TOM: That’s the one that has the odor issue, more than anything else, because of the seal.

TONY: That’s right.

TOM: You don’t really have to have a seal on a top-load because gravity being what it is, it doesn’t want to get up that high, right? But that moisture just lays around that seal and it mixes with the dirt, right, and the bacteria kind of forms. And that’s what really causes the odor; it’s the bacteria.

TONY: And the detergent. If it has any (inaudible) it does that.

TOM: Oh, that’s a good point.

TOM: It’ll hold the mildew or those kinds of pieces right there along that door seal. And this product really gets in there and takes care of that.

TOM: How often should you be using a cleaning product like this?

TONY: Well, we always like to say, regularly, once a week to maintain. However, depending on the nature of your problem – if it’s a continuous problem or a bad problem – more frequently.

LESLIE: Now, do you find that since, generally, with the appliances it’s the seal, does having the seal compromised by being dirty or gunky in any way – does that affect the efficiency of the appliance itself?

TONY: The things that affect the efficiency, the machine, are the hard-water minerals that build up inside the drum on both the dishwasher and the washing machine. Those, combined with the detergents, can cause the jets to clog up, the ports, the cleaning mechanisms to not work effectively. So this is formulated to solve that problem.

TOM: Because if you have that crust that forms from the mineral deposits on those jets, on those ports, you’re not getting the velocity out of that water. You’re not getting power or the drainage.

LESLIE: Or the proper drainage.

TOM: So that means it stays wetter longer or there’s not enough water even to blast out what it could on its own, right?

TONY: That’s correct. What you end up seeing is you might have cups or things on the top shelf that have residue in them or bits of food.

TOM: Right.

TONY: You might get a white cloudiness on your glassware. And usually, that’s a sign that your dishwasher needs to be cleaned.

LESLIE: Well, it’s funny because I guess people think it’s your washing machine and your dishwasher and everything’s getting cleaned in there. “So why do I need to clean it?”

TOM: Yeah. “Why do I have to clean the cleaner?” Yeah, yeah.

LESLIE: But you do.

TOM: But you do, exactly. Because it doesn’t get to those spots. Plus, the soaps and the – that you’re using in those machines aren’t really designed to clean the machines themselves. That’s a different science; there’s a different chemistry to it, right?

TONY: That’s absolutely correct, Tom. Thanks for mentioning that.

TOM: Yeah, yeah.

So, we’re talking to Tony Cronk with Summit Brands about Plink.

And you also have another brand that we’ve used for years now. I know that our family really loves it. It’s Glisten. And you have a lot of products that are in this space. You’ve got a dishwasher cleaner where you pop open this little bottle and stick it in the rack and shut the door and you’re good to go, as well as many others. Give us some highlights on Glisten.

So what makes that different than Plink? Well, we focus on a heavy-duty clean. So if you’ve got a bad problem, folks that have hard water, rust, lime calcium, you need a punch to get in there and really knock that stuff out.

TOM: Right.

LESLIE: They really do have a bad problem when they have that situation.

TOM: Yeah, exactly. Yep.

TONY: And that’s what those products are focused on providing for the consumer.

TOM: Yeah. And that really helps the maintenance of those machines, as well. It’s so important to keep them running cleanly.

TONY: Yes, absolutely.

TOM: So let’s talk about an appliance that we kind of expect to get dirty: the garbage disposer. You guys – I know Plink has a product that is like a little pebble you drop right in there and scrubs that clean. There’s all sorts of old wives’ tales around that, too, like ice cubes and putting them there and that sort of thing. But we don’t need that.

TONY: Lemon peels.

TOM: Lemon peels. But Plink does a great job.

TONY: Yes. Plink, again, back with that fast, easy, fresh and fun type approach. You get 10 little balls that – they actually look like paintballs.

TOM: Yeah.

TONY: You drop them down the sink. They have a super-potent fragrance technology built into them. So, it freshens that machine or the disposer immediately, takes away all those bad odors. And people love it kind of as a daily use, especially if – common problem.

TOM: Yeah.

TONY: And it’s such a good value when you get 10 of them with the purchase that people put them in by the handfuls.

TOM: Wow.

LESLIE: That’s so funny. And you think about it, with the disposers, you get so much sort of gross things that you’re putting down there. And they really can tend to be very stinky, so you have to take care of it.

TOM: Plink, very effective. Glisten just as well. Machine-cleaning experts all made by Summit Brands under the guidance of Tony Cronk.

Tony, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit. You guys are the cleaning experts and we so appreciate your advice.

TONY: Thanks for having me on, Tom and Leslie.

LESLIE: Thanks.

TOM: And we’d love for you to join the conversation, so call in your home improvement or décor question now to 888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor. They really have the best local pros for any home service.

LESLIE: That’s right. It doesn’t matter what that project is, they make it fast and easy to find top-rated home pros.

LESLIE: We’ll be back with more from the 2018 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, after this.

TOM: Where home solutions live, this is The Money Pit.

Well, one of the most popular repair products in any toolbox is simply duct tape. But while it has its uses, duct tape is not a great choice when strong holding power is really needed.

LESLIE: That’s right. But T-Rex Tape, on the other hand, is designed for those occasions when intense holding power is needed. No matter what application you’re using it in, from a simple patch to wrapping torn things or broken tool handles, the utility and strength of T-Rex Tape really do make it an essential addition to any toolbox.

TOM: And now, T-Rex is launching a new product called T-Rex Brute Force. And it can actually hold up to 700 pounds. Isn’t that crazy?

LESLIE: That’s huge.

TOM: Seven hundred pounds. With us to talk about that product is Stephen Wagner, the product marketer for ShurTech, the manufacturer of T-Rex Brand.

And Steve, are folks really trusting 700 pounds of weight to tape?

STEPHEN: Well, that’s what we’re showing them here at the Hardware Show.

TOM: OK.

STEPHEN: We have a demonstration where we actually loop one strip of tape around a big steel bar and then to the weight.

TOM: Wow, 700 pounds.

STEPHEN: Lift it up. We’ve been doing it over and over again. It’s pretty amazing. And it’s just a demonstration of what you can do with this new – basically, it’s a duct tape.

TOM: Well, I’ve been using the previous T-Rex Tape, the basic tape. I don’t know what you call this.

STEPHEN: Just T-Rex Tape, yeah.

TOM: Just T-Rex, OK?

STEPHEN: That’s right.

LESLIE: Just T-Rex.

TOM: So, I actually had to do a repair to a car-top carrier, a turtle. And we had to put some new holes in it, new brackets. It had half-a-dozen holes, water was getting up in there. I had put tape on it before but it fell right off. Put the T-Rex on it, went through some storms, no problems. Stayed put, kept all the water out. So it was a good application for it.

And I remember we were also playing with this in the studio, where we were picking up concrete blocks. And that was with the original T-Rex. And now, I’m not strong enough to pick up 700 pounds.

STEPHEN: Neither am I. That’s why we have the big gantry rig and a hoist lift.

TOM: Yeah.

STEPHEN: But that’s a perfect example of what regular T-Rex tape will do for you.

TOM: It’s good for it, right?

STEPHEN: It’s a repair.

TOM: Yep.

STEPHEN: This tape, Brute Force, is actually an engineered solution. You can do more with a tape than you have ever been able to do before, because of that immense strength.

TOM: I bet it’s a good product to have on hand in an emergency, right?

STEPHEN: That’s absolutely right, yeah.

TOM: If you’re a firefighter or rescue person …

STEPHEN: We’re still enjoying – because this is a new development. We’re just launching it here at the Hardware Show.

TOM: Right.

STEPHEN: We’re still really having fun finding the limits of the product. We’re just looping the tape once in our demonstration, holding 700 pounds. We don’t have enough weight to loop it twice.

TOM: And everybody loops tape a couple of times, just because that’s just how we’ve grown up to do it, right?

STEPHEN: Exactly. Yep. So now you can do what you can do with a whole case of tape, with this one roll of Brute Force.

TOM: Right.

STEPHEN: That’s right.

LESLIE: But can you still rip it apart with your hands?

STEPHEN: No, you can’t tear it with your hands. That’s one of the things we conceded.

TOM: Ah, it’s a good question. Good question. So it has to be …

STEPHEN: So you’re going to need a knife. But we know that a lot of people that are doing these big projects are good about keeping a knife around with them, yep.

TOM: Do use a knife. Yep. Exactly. Yeah.

So, I guess you also had to beef up the adhesive, as well, because that’s part of the formula.

STEPHEN: Yep. That’s right.

TOM: Not only is this the tape and the layers that go into making that tape but the adhesive is key.

STEPHEN: So, one of the things – when we developed the tape, we really wanted to just take our T-Rex Tape and make it better. So we started with that scrim, to give it that amazing strength.

TOM: Right.

STEPHEN: And we used something called Forge Link Technology, where we actually – in the direction that you pull the tape off the roll, we run this new material called Forge Link. And because it’s so strong, usually a tape would break before the adhesive breaks. But now, we’re actually stronger than the adhesive, so we had to redo our adhesive to give it better shear strength.

LESLIE: To match the tape.

TOM: To match it.

STEPHEN: That’s right, exactly.

TOM: Right. Yeah.

STEPHEN: So it’s really – it’s been a fun engineering project for all the guys making this tape. Nice shout-out to our Shurtape team down there in Hickory.

TOM: Yeah. What happens in damp locations?

STEPHEN: In damp locations, you’re going to want the material to generally be dry and clean.

TOM: OK.

STEPHEN: But if you stick the tape to itself, you’re going to get some excellent holding power.

TOM: And if it gets wet after that, no big deal.

STEPHEN: Absolute.

TOM: Yeah.

STEPHEN: Because it’s still waterproof backing with UV inhibitors in the adhesive. So it’s a great, excellent, all-weather tape, as well.

TOM: Well, if you’ve got tried T-Rex Tape and now the T-Rex Brute Force Tape, you’ve got to check it out. Their website is TRexTape.com. It’s available everywhere. I highly recommend it. It’s been a great product to have in our house and in our toolbox, as well.

Stephen Wagner from ShurTech Brands, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.

STEPHEN: Hey, thanks for having us, guys.

LESLIE: You are listening to The Money Pit coming to you today from the Ultimate Backyard for home improvers, the 2018 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Join the conversation. Call in your questions to 888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor. Find top-rated home service pros, compare prices and book appointments online, all for free.

TOM: Still ahead, do you want to create your own ultimate backyard on a budget? We’ll tell you how to achieve an upscale look without an upscale price, after this.

Making good homes better, welcome back to The Money Pit coming to you from the Ultimate Backyard for home improvers, the 2018 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, where we’re surrounded by every outdoor-living project imaginable, from fire pits to hammocks to furniture.

LESLIE: I mean really, you can find everything here.

Well, one thing that I really like about this show is the opportunity to find products that solve problems and just make things really a lot easier to get done.

TOM: Yep. To get done, yeah.

LESLIE: Have you ever tried to glue something only to find out that the glue you’ve picked up isn’t the glue that you need, because it’s not working with the materials you’ve got and things just aren’t compatible?

TOM: That’s really frustrating. And it’s a problem solved by K-CO Innovations, with the launch of their newest product, which is simply called Glu – G-l-u. With us to talk about that is David Kurrasch, President of K-CO Innovations.

Welcome, David.

DAVID: Good to see you guys.

TOM: Now, when I tell folks about this show, I’ve got to say that you are one of the success stories that I share. Because we’ve seen you over the years invent some very cool products that have become big successes. We’re talking about the Monkey Hook, probably the best-selling piece of picture-hanging hardware out there on the market, right?

DAVID: That’s been a real good product for us. It’s basically everywhere and it’s a simple, wire-formed hook that goes in with no tools. And it’s been real successful.

TOM: And then you have the Little Big Shot, which I love. I’ve got three of these because I’ve got three hoses around my house.

DAVID: Good man.

TOM: And this attachment delivers a stream of water 45 feet. It’s like you can’t even do that with a pressure washer. And it’s perfect because it doesn’t wear out.

DAVID: Yeah, it’s been a great product for us. We’ve been in the market with it for a few years now and it continues to increase in sales every year. It’s number one in one of the big boxes. And it’s just great because it’s very efficient with the water. It loses very little pressure when you use it and it provides a lot of force with water efficiency.

TOM: And then you’ve got the Johnny Jolter. And the Johnny Jolter is a plunger that basically can clear the worst clogs. And that’s something that people don’t like to think about but it happens.

LESLIE: No one wants to think about that.

TOM: And that actually led you to develop this new product called Glu. And I tell you what, it’s a real chemistry hassle to try to find the right glue to fix whatever is going on in your house. And you’ve actually come up with something that is very all-purpose and all-in-one. Talk about it.

DAVID: We needed a product – because the Johnny Jolter, as you mentioned, is a plunger that’s a different type of plunger. And it requires three different types of plastic parts to be fused together.

TOM: OK.

DAVID: One is Hytrel, one is PVC and one is ABS. So, this is the challenge of any gluing project, as Leslie pointed out: finding something that works on all surfaces.

Now, this product was designed and formulated exclusively for plastic to plastic. We discovered – and using it for Johnny Jolter, we had an issue in the warehouse where we had to glue something. We didn’t have anything else, so we realized this actually glues everything else: wood, stone. We tested it after we discovered this and started to say, “Why don’t we bring this to the consumer market?”

TOM: And isn’t that how so many products are – come to market or get (inaudible)?

LESLIE: It’s a happy accident.

TOM: It’s a happy accident. It’s a problem that you solve and go, “Now, wait a minute. This has got other applications.” And here we are with a product in a box, in a tube, that can really cover it all.

DAVID: I love the happy accidents.

TOM: Yeah.

DAVID: That’s exactly what this was. And so now we have this in a couple different sizes. It’s a – the bond time is about 30 seconds. And the other thing about …

LESLIE: Which is ridiculously fast. Because if you were in a jam and you break something, especially – it’s like a piece of china on a holiday or a kid’s toy.

DAVID: Yeah.

LESLIE: It’s like you’re bonding it, it’s adhering fast and it’s right back to its use.

DAVID: And it’s a solvent-free, 100-percent pure glue. Glues have solvents in them to enhance the drying time.

TOM: Yeah.

DAVID: So this is a solvent-free, pure glue that works on everything. We’re very excited about it.

DAVID: Certainly on Amazon and we’re building retail distribution as we speak.

TOM: Well done. Thank you, David.

DAVID: Thank you so much.

LESLIE: You are listening to The Money Pit, on air and online at MoneyPit.com, coming to you from the Ultimate Backyard for home improvers, the 2018 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas. We are surrounded by every outdoor-living product imaginable, from fire pits to hammocks, even furniture.

TOM: And we’re going to talk about that furniture right now with Jeff Polke, the co-owner of GCI Outdoor. They manufacture portable chairs, perfect for camping, tailgates and trips to the beach or pool.

Welcome, Jeff.

JEFF: How are you doing today?

TOM: You guys have packed a lot of innovation into a very portable, lightweight chair, haven’t you?

JEFF: Well, it’s kind of our thing, you know?

TOM: Yeah.

JEFF: We don’t want to be a standard chair that just kind of sits there, a little boring.

TOM: Want a chair with some action. So, how did GCI Outdoor actually get started?

JEFF: So, me and a childhood friend, Dan Grace – he’s the inventor of us two.

TOM: OK.

JEFF: I wouldn’t call him the smartest one of us, OK? So let’s not go there. But I’m kind of the sales/marketing guy.

TOM: Right.

JEFF: And he had a – was at a golf tournament one time and it started to rain. He was up on a hillside on that stadium golf seating that most of the tournaments have.

TOM: Yep.

JEFF: And he was getting a small case of wet ass and he’s like, “There’s got to be a chair for this, OK?” And he went home. He took a lawn chair, cut the back legs off of it, put it on his hatchway (ph) and was like, “Oh, my God, it’s nice and even on a hillside.”

TOM: Right.

JEFF: So that started everything.

TOM: There you go.

JEFF: So, we kept on asking, “There’s got to be a chair for this.” And over and over again, we kept on reinventing different type of stuff for that.

LESLIE: I mean that’s amazing. So you’re innovating as you’re seeing the needs.

JEFF: Yeah.

LESLIE: It’s like you’re constantly figuring it out.

JEFF: It’s pretty cool.

LESLIE: Now, would that be the company moment that you’re most proud of or has there been something even more special than that?

JEFF: Well, I would have to say that was one because we weren’t really partners then. Technically, we were friends and I was helping him out, because I – at the time.

TOM: I see. Right.

JEFF: So, our proudest moment probably came within the last three years. We invented a – we reinvented the rocker.

TOM: OK.

JEFF: A standard rocker is used off of deflection, OK? So, you basically – it’s going on the floor just like this. Now, if you look at ours, it has two shocks on the back. Now, the great thing about that is you don’t need deflection, which means you can use it on soft ground, you can use it on sand. You could be buried in water and still be rocking. It’s very, very cool.

And why we’re so proud of that is because everybody thinks of a rocking chair – “It’s on my grandmother’s porch. That’s kind of lame. Who wants that?”

TOM: Right. A lot of people do.

JEFF: Let me tell you, we’ve been selling tons and tons of them.

TOM: Yeah. Yeah.

JEFF: And we actually won an award here a few years back. We won a football for Best in Show. We were actually out here in this section and it’s just been gangbusters ever since.

LESLIE: That’s fantastic. You know, I have still – my son is five and I still have a rocker in his room.

JEFF: Yeah.

LESLIE: And it’s like sometimes we’ll sit down and we’ll read in there. And it – while gorgeously designed, the functionality of it is terrible. And I find that I’m constantly moving my foot and then I get a cramp in my shin, in my leg.

JEFF: Yeah, exactly.

LESLIE: And I’m like, “We can read somewhere else.”

TOM: Jeff Polke from GCI Outdoor, thank you so much for stopping by The Money Pit.

If you’d like to check out all the GCI products, head on over to their website at GCIOutdoor.com.

This is The Money Pit Home Improvement Show coming to you from the 2018 National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, where we’ve gathered all of our favorite innovations in one very big backyard. Follow along online at #NHShow.

And you can join the conversation by calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT presented by HomeAdvisor, where it’s easy to find top-rated local home improvement pros for any home project. Go to HomeAdvisor.com.

Making good homes better, this is The Money Pit. I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Wrapping up our broadcast at the 2018 National Hardware Show. There are a lot of great tool manufacturers out here. And over the last 10 years, we’ve seen a big shift from gas-powered equipment to battery-powered equipment. And it’s pretty clear that today, you get just about anything done with a battery that you once could with gas-powered equipment.

LESLIE: Hey, life is cordless these days.

TOM: It’s totally cordless. And one of the brands that’s been taking a leadership role in that is Poulan. With us to talk about that is Chad Winters from Poulan Pro.

Welcome, Chad.

CHAD: Good afternoon.

TOM: Hey, you guys have a lot of tools that are designed for pros and homeowners. And you’re rolling out some new battery products here that can run pretty much all those tools. And I like the fact that everything’s interchangeable.

CHAD: Yes. This is our launch of the Powerlink Series. This is a Poulan Pro consumer lineup of – full lineup – of battery-power product. Utilizes a 58-volt platform so we kind of get the benefits of the pack-and-a-half. There’s 36-volt platforms, there are 72-volt platforms that are really big and heavy.

TOM: Right.

CHAD: So the 58’s kind of a pack-and-a-half, so you get the benefits of the size and the weight, plus the performance that kind of equates to that homeowner gasoline equipment that most folks have in the garage or the shed now.

TOM: It’s really like you’re trying to hit the sweet spot in this power. Because you could go anywhere in terms of that number.

CHAD: Yes.

TOM: You guys are hitting 58 because you’ve identified that that’s where you need to be to serve the market.

CHAD: Yes. For this market.

TOM: And you give them (inaudible) and the use and usability of the product.

CHAD: Yes. That’s …

LESLIE: And I think yard and lawn care, all of that type of work out of doors, really makes the most sense to be cordless. You can go anywhere and you might not always have access to the power. So, cordless capabilities for the yard is fantastic.

TOM: Yep. Absolutely. Yeah. And because you want to go ahead and work in a yard that’s an acre deep, or something like that, without having to drag a generator out or plug something in and deal with the wires. And it used to be that you could do that with smaller tools but when it came to big stuff, you couldn’t. But I mean chainsaws, weed whackers, lawn mowers, everything is running off of batteries these days.

CHAD: Yeah. This is a complete line, so it includes a 21-inch push power, a chainsaw, a hedge trimmer, a line trimmer and both a handheld blower and backpack blower, depending on that size of property.

TOM: OK. Right.

CHAD: If you’ve got the larger end of it, then you may not want to hold it in your hand the whole time. We have a backpack configuration then.

LESLIE: And the batteries are all completely interchangeable across the entire line?

CHAD: There are two batteries in the set: the 2.6 and the 5.2 amp-hour batteries. But they are interchangeable within all the tools. The idea behind it is the battery for the chainsaw, the backpack blower and the walk mower, because those are a little bit – they’re under heavier load, they’re going to use more energy.

TOM: Right. Mm-hmm.

CHAD: We give you, in the bundle, the larger battery in the bundle. And so then hedge trimmer, line trimmer come with the 2.6. But at the end of the day, if you’ve got the mower, the line trimmer and a leaf blower, all the batteries can swap within and out each of the pieces of equipment. So you kind of get – you don’t have any excuse not to get the yardwork done, because you’ve got multiple batteries and multiple chargers and all of them are interchangeable.

LESLIE: Right. And I like that because a lot of times, when you see …

TOM: But sometimes I need an excuse to get my yardwork done.

LESLIE: You’re not getting it here.

But a lot of times you see, especially when there’s a single battery across a platform of tools or equipment – the manufacturer sort of holds those batteries and chargers sort of separate from you.

TOM: Right. Right. Right. Mm-hmm.

LESLIE: You have to buy those additionally and you’re kind of stuck maybe with one battery and then you’re waiting to charge it to get back to work.

TOM: Right.

LESLIE: I like that you’re giving everybody the opportunity to continue working by giving them a charger and a battery per every piece of equipment.

CHAD: Yeah. Well, for the target audience, that’s how they’re expecting the products to be sold. There are equipment out there that’s designed for pros that they expect to buy piecemeal.

TOM: Yep.

CHAD: But a homeowner expects to buy a box, take it home, open it up and have everything that they need.

TOM: It’s a great product. Chad Winters from Poulan Pro, thanks so much for stopping by The Money Pit.

If you’d like to check out the new line, go to their website at PoulanPro.com.

Thanks, Chad.

CHAD: Thank you.

TOM: This is The Money Pit coming to you, once again, from Las Vegas and the 2018 National Hardware Show. That wraps up this edition. You can follow along our coverage all online at MoneyPit.com.

I’m Tom Kraeutler.

LESLIE: And I’m Leslie Segrete.

TOM: Remember, you can do it yourself …

LESLIE: But you don’t have to do it alone.

END HOUR 2 TEXT

(Copyright 2018 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc. No portion of this transcript or audio file may be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.)